Question: After birth in Amituofo’s Pure Land, will we still be subject to rebirth in the six realms of Samsara?
Answer: We should not mistaken Pure Land to be a retirement home or holiday resort, as it is not for inactivity or mere enjoyment. It is the best Dharma school in the universe, the most splendidly skilful and purposeful place created by Amituofo for training ourselves to become enlightened Bodhisattvas, who eventually become Buddhas.
Reaching Pure Land is the attainment of the end of samsaric rebirths, as we will no longer be reborn in the six realms due to negative karma. In this sense, it is the end of rebirth in its usual sense. We can stay and train there until we are one lifetime away from Buddhahood. Even if we do depart regularly, riding upon Amituofo’s blessings, we can always return to Pure Land as our main training base.
Even if we leave Pure Land ‘permanently’, before training to be full-fledged Bodhisattvas, there will be no backsliding into the lower realms, as continual connection to Amituofo’s blessings spans from life to life, all the way until Buddhahood. Of course, we can change our minds at any time and return to Pure Land for further training too. The key point is to first reach Pure Land to establish strong links.
If we train all the way in Pure Land, we will thereafter return to Samsara freely and with total control as Bodhisattvas, manifesting Buddhahood there. As above, this return is not due to negative karma, which means there will be no suffering or spiritual backsliding. It is intentional yet natural manifestation of great compassion to guide other beings to enlightenment, including via reaching Pure Land.
